M 16, the "Eagle Nebula", is located 7000 light years away,
located in the arm of the galaxy that is the next closest
to the center from us. The open cluster of stars visible within
the nebula formed about 5.5 million years ago - very recently in
astronomical terms. The radiation from these new stars is "evaporating"
the nebula away. The most striking features of this nebula are the darker
pillars, areas of more dense material which have so far resisted
this erosion. In these pillars and in the other dark globules throughout this
nebula, new stars are still forming.

Image data:
Camera: Canon 350XT (modified)
Exposure: ISO 800, 5 minutes x 12
Telescope: 10" Schmidt-Newtonian, Baader coma corrector
Note: this was taken on an unusually hazy night, with the
incoming clouds eventually cutting this exposure shorter than
I had planned.